What a Little Rain Can Do
by SusieDiamond
Summary: When a storm hits Orange County, Sandy and Kirsten discover just what a little rain can do.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Don't own them. Never have. Never will.**

**This story is set sometime in Season 4. Obviously before the pregnancy and earthquake and move to Berkeley. **

**I really, REALLY should have been writing this little essay on judicial legislation that is due in oooh, I don't know, nineteen hours and that I've only written one paragraph of, but the idea of doing this instead was just too tempting. Whoops...**

"It's raining," Kirsten stated, looking out the window.

"Raining what-cats and dogs? Rays of sunshine?" Seth asked, walking into the kitchen.

"It's raining rain," Kirsten clarified.

"It's raining," Sandy declared several seconds later, grabbing a bagel as he entered the kitchen.

"That's what I just said," Kirsten told Sandy.

"Ryan? Ryan?" Seth walked over to the table, where Ryan was reading the newspaper and poked him several times to get his attention. "Did you hear that? It's raining."

"I know," Ryan said, not looking up from the article he was reading. "I _can_ hear it, you know."

"Do you remember what happened the last time it rained like this?" Seth asked his family, sitting down next to Ryan. "Lindsay jetted off to Chicago, I found out that Marissa and Alex were batting for the same team-"

Ryan shifted uncomfortably at the reminder of his less-than-easy love life and cleared his throat.

"Sorry, dude," Seth mumbled. "Anyway, sure Summer and I got back together after she almost hightailed it to Italy with Zach but I was the only one who benefited from the rain. Let's not forget about you guys, Mom and Dad. Now, I don't know exactly what was happening around that time but-"

Sandy and Kirsten both shot Seth a warning glance.

"But don't you both look beautiful this morning," Seth rambled. "So alert. So fresh."

Kirsten raised her eyebrows sceptically as she looked at her son through her tousled hair and folded her arms defensively in front of her robe.

"_Anyway_," Seth continued, "what I am _trying_ to say, despite everyone's interruptions, is that rain seems to be a bad omen."

"Which will affect you how exactly?" Ryan asked.

"I don't know," Seth answered. "I'm just saying we need to be careful today."

* * *

Sandy walked into his bedroom as Kirsten put the finishing touches on her make-up.

"Well," he said, giving her a kiss on the top of her head, "I'm off to court. When do you leave?"

"As soon as this is done," Kirsten answered.

"Remember Seth's warning," Sandy said jokingly. "And be careful."

Sandy's last few words were swallowed up by the sound of thunder.

"You don't think that's God trying to warn us, do you?" Sandy continued joking.

Superstition rose in Kirsten and a frown creased her forehead as the rain started to fall heavier.

"Oh, honey, I was just kidding," Sandy laughed, sensing his wife's uneasiness.

"What if the rain really _is _a bad omen?" Kirsten wondered.

"You don't really believe that, do you?" Sandy smiled.

"What if we are being warned?" Kirsten continued. "What if something terrible might happen to one of us if we leave the house today? What if we have all of these signs telling us not to leave the house and we ignore them?"

"Kirsten," Sandy said seriously, "you're beginning to sound a bit like Seth."

Kirsten jolted back to reality and looked at Sandy.

"I guess you're right," she admitted with an uneasy smile. "Ignore me. Have a good day at work."

Sandy looked out the window and set down his briefcase.

"Maybe there is something to be said for the rain," he said slowly, an idea dawning on him. "It is raining pretty heavily. It doesn't look like it'll stop anytime soon. And it looks pretty bleak outside."

"What are you saying?" Kirsten asked.

"It's hardly the sort of day you want to go to work," Sandy said.

"Are you suggesting we skip work and spend the day inside because it's raining?" Kirsten asked with amusement.

"Exactly!" Sandy exclaimed, taking Kirsten's hand in his. "Think about it; a whole day alone, with the house to ourselves. We can lie in bed, watch the rain and laugh about the people who are insane enough to go outside today."

"Sandy, I can't just skip work!" Kirsten declared. "I can't leave Julie alone like that."

"Why not?" Sandy asked. "I'm sure she's done it to you. Just call in sick."

"We're not teenagers," Kirsten said. "We can't just skip something we don't feel like doing."

"I think we're allowed one circumstance in which we can act immaturely," Sandy said. "It's an inherent privilege of adulthood."

"Oh really?" Kirsten laughed. "Well, you enjoy staying home, then, but I'm going to work."

Sandy grabbed Kirsten around the waist as she started to walk past, and pulled her into him, giving her a brief but passionate kiss.

"Are you sure you don't want to give up responsibility just for one day of this?" Sandy asked, kissing her again.

"Well…" Kirsten faltered, her resolve lessening exponentially with each second. It had been so long since they'd last had some real quality time.

Sandy leaned in and kissed her again.

"Screw work," Kirsten decided and responded eagerly to Sandy's kiss.

"We should probably call," Sandy said, pulling just far enough away to speak. "Say we're sick-"

"_Terribly_ sick," Kirsten agreed.

"Far too sick for work," Sandy finished.

"Definitely," Kirsten said, leaning in to kiss Sandy again, pulling off his jacket and unbuttoning his shirt.

She pulled away suddenly and started walking out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Sandy asked, following her.

"To call Julie," Kirsten called over her shoulder. "Just like you said."

"Right now?" Sandy asked, trailing Kirsten. "But we still have time to…you know…before we need to call work."

"And you want me to be thinking about Julie while we're in bed?" Kirsten asked with a smirk, picking up the phone.

Sandy's face dropped. "Good point," he said, giving up his argument and taking out his cell phone to follow Kirsten's lead.

By the time Sandy got off his cell, Kirsten was still explaining herself to Julie. He recognised the guilty look on her face and realised he'd have to act quickly unless he wanted her to end up giving in and going to work.

"I told you I don't know what I have, Julie," Kirsten said, jumping slightly as Sandy came up from behind and kissed her neck. "It must be food poisoning."

Sandy continued kissing her neck and she hit him gently, hoping he'd stop distracting her but he just wound his arms around her waist in response

"What did I eat for dinner last night? I...I don't remember," Kirsten stammered, unsure of who had more of her attention at the moment; Julie with her constant badgering or Sandy, whose lips seemed to be attached to her neck.

All of a sudden, Kirsten felt Sandy's arms slide underneath her top and his lips move down to her collarbone.

"Julie-I really have to go, I'm sorry," Kirsten managed to get out before hastily hanging up the phone.

Sandy released Kirsten from his grasp, a satisfied smile evident on his face as she turned around to stare him down.

"That," Kirsten said, "was incredibly distracting."

"And incredibly effective, too," Sandy replied. "It got you off the phone."

"That it did," Kirsten agreed.

"Now, where were we?" Sandy asked, his lips moving up her collarbone and her neck to her lips.

"Going back to the bedroom, it seems," Kirsten murmured between kisses.

A crash of thunder sounded.

"I think that's a sign," Sandy said seriously.

"A sign for what?" Kirsten played along.

"That we shouldn't go back to the bedroom," Sandy said. "I think that's God trying to tell us that this floor is much closer."

"I think you're right," Kirsten said, wrapping her arms around Sandy's neck. "Who knows what could happen to us on the way to the bedroom?"

"Exactly," Sandy said, pulling Kirsten down to the floor with him.

Kirsten took off Sandy's unbuttoned shirt, finishing the work they had started before.

* * *

"So, did the rain fulfil its prophecy?" Ryan asked Seth that night, as they were seated around the table for dinner.

"Dude, it was awful," Seth whined. "The moisture in the air set off my allergies. What misfortune did the rain bring you?"

"Nothing," Ryan answered. "Just like I thought it would."

"Mom, what's that on your neck?" Seth asked suspiciously as Kirsten tucked some hair behind her ear, a note of horror in his voice.

"Uh…nothing," Kirsten said, hastily untucking her hair. "It must be a…straightening iron burn."

Seth accepted her answer, deciding a burn was better than the alternative.

"Well, Mom, Dad," Seth said, looking at his parents, "How was your day?"

Kirsten looked down at her dinner, leaving Sandy to answer the question.

"It was very…productive."

**I don't know whether to leave this as a oneshot or turn it into a story (I have an idea of where it would go). So I shall leave it up to go. R&R and let me know what you want!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! Please keep them coming because they brighten my day which is too full of study for finals at the moment and I love to hear your input.**

**I swear, I think I may have power over the weather. I mean, it hasn't rained here in a month but I write this story and the next thing you know, it rains for two days straight! How crazy is that?**

Kirsten didn't want to open her eyes when she woke up the next morning. For once, she got to wake up feeling the warmth of Sandy next to her rather than facing a cold, empty bed that her husband had abandoned for surfing. Still half-asleep, she unconsciously shifted closer to Sandy only to feel his warm arm wrap itself lovingly around her waist. A slight smile played on her lips and as she withdrew further from sleep, she noticed the loud heavy sound of the rain still falling outside.

Thanking the rain for keeping her husband in for just one morning, Kirsten opened her eyes and found Sandy looking into her own. She gave him a smile infused with sleep before cuddling into him.

"What time is it?" she mumbled into his chest as he kissed the top of her head.

"Five thirty," Sandy answered.

"Five thirty?" Kirsten exclaimed, pulling away from Sandy in surprise.

"There's been a hell of a lot of thunder for the past half hour," Sandy explained. "It only stopped when you started stirring. I kept on expecting it to wake you up but in the end, I decided your snoring must block out some of these noises for you."

"I don't snore!" Kirsten protested.

"Of course you don't," Sandy said soothingly, knowing she would never believe that she had given a first class performance last night. There were times when Sandy had thought her snoring was trying to compete with the thunder-and quite successfully too, he might add.

Kirsten found her way back into Sandy's arms and closed her eyes in vain. Even though it was still dark outside and far too early for her to be up, she knew that there was no going back to sleep now that she had Sandy and the sound of the rain to distract her.

"It's so early," Kirsten complained. "I should still be asleep."

"You're not tired after yesterday, are you?" Sandy asked with a chuckle, which Kirsten couldn't help but respond to with a laugh.

Kirsten looked into Sandy's eyes, cupping his face with her hand and wondering if he could ever know just how much he meant to her. She leaned in and kissed the man who was her whole life.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too," Sandy said before kissing her again. "So much."

Kirsten pulled herself on top of Sandy and looked down at him smiling.

"See how much better it is when you don't go surfing?" she asked.

"I guess we'll just have to hope the rain doesn't end for at least the next week, then," Sandy replied.

He placed his hand on the back of Kirsten's head and brought her lips to his.

"Or two," Kirsten mumbled into Sandy's mouth.

"Or three," Sandy replied.

"Or four," Kirsten continued.

"It can just rain forever, then," Sandy decided.

"Fine by me," Kirsten said before giving Sandy a passionate kiss.

* * *

Kirsten walked into Newmatch with two large coffees as a signal of apology to Julie for missing work yesterday but the office was empty. This didn't surprise Kirsten; she generally beat Julie to work of a morning only to have Julie arrive slightly late,invariably putting the blame on getting every red light on the way or not being able to find a shoe.

This morning was no different; Julie came bursting in a quarter of an hour after Kirsten.

"You're here," Julie said with a degree of surprise, hastily shrugging off her jacket.

"So are you," Kirsten replied, looking up from her work.

"Is that coffee?" Julie asked, sitting down at her desk and noticing the cup in front of her.

"The largest size they had," Kirsten confirmed.

"You have _no_ idea how much I need this," Julie declared taking a sip. "My morning was _so_ hectic. I mean, I set my alarm for six thirty, I swear I did, but for some reason it didn't go off and I didn't wake up until seven when Caitlin charged into my room looking for some boots. My clock must be faulty, Kiki, I-"

Julie stopped abruptly when she saw the smile on Kirsten's face and realised that her normally firm, no nonsense friend was trying to suppress a laugh.

"Why are you smiling?" Julie asked, slowly and suspiciously. "You've never found my late excuses humorous before."

"I'm sorry, Julie," Kirsten said, trying unsuccessfully to sober up. "You're just...unique."

"Okay, is this some after affect of food poisoning?" Julie asked uneasily, shifting slightly away from Kirsten's direction. "Are you still not over it? Should I have a bucket or something on hand for when you get really happy like this?"

This was pathetic, Kirsten thought as a giggle escaped her lips and Julie held on to her coffee for protection from whatever Kirsten was possessed by. She felt like a giddy teenager with a secret she didn't really want to keep; she almost wanted to exclaim to Julie, "I wasn't at work yesterday because I really spent the day in bed with Sandy-and this morning, too!" But judging by the frightened look on Julie's face, Kirsten didn't think that Julie could take anymore uncharacteristic outbursts from her.

"I think I've just...had too much caffeine today," Kirsten seriously told Julie, pushing her remaining coffee away.

Julie quickly snatched up Kirsten's coffee and added it to her own.

"No more coffee for you, then," Julie instructed her. "I don't like being the serious adult."

Kirsten sombrely put her head down and got back to work as Julie watched Kirsten while sipping her coffee, suspicions swirling around in her head.

"Kirsten," Julie begun a few moments later, "you didn't really have food poisoning, did you?"

The corners of Kirsten's mouth perceptibly twitched for several moments before her will lost out to a new round of giggles.

* * *

"I hate driving in this rain," Julie muttered that evening as she and Kirsten walked to their cars.

"I thought the rain would have stopped by now," Kirsten remarked, long since sobered up since her giddiness that morning.

"And, instead, it seems to be heavier," Julie said unhappily, getting out her keys as they reached her car. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Julie."

Kirsten continued on, a few steps from her own car when her cell rang.

"Hello?" she answered quickly, getting into the shelter of her car.

"Hey, baby," came Sandy's voice. "I'm just about to leave work and it's raining pretty heavily. Will you be okay getting home?"

"I'll be fine," Kirsten assured him, a smile on her lips. "I'm perfectly capable of driving in the rain, you know."

"I know but...be careful, okay?" Sandy told her. "And be careful of other drivers."

"Okay," Kirsten said, starting up her engine. "I'll see you soon at home."

"Well, make sure that your headlights are on and that your wipers are as fast as they can go," Sandy quickly threw in. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Kirsten said, hanging up her cell.

She drove away, a smile still on her lips. Kirsten quickly settled in to driving in the rain, slightly hypnotised by the rhythm of the windscreen wipers clearing the rain. Sandy's call had left her with a permanent smile. She needed a degree of independence and she didn't need to be protected, that was true, but she definitely liked the feeling of Sandy checking up on her and hearing the warm, protective tone in his voice. It certainly made her want to get home to him sooner and give him a welcoming hug and kiss. She wanted to feel him wrap his arms around her, to look into his eyes and hear the comforting sound of his voice.

Lost in her thoughts and still smiling, she didn't see the car that failed to stop as it approached the intersection until its headlights mixed with the rain and blinded her vision. Sheer terror took over as she slammed on the breaks, but it was too late. The wet surface of the road sent her car spinning and as the other car slammed into her, all she could see was the rain and headlights surrounding her but in her mind stood the one figure that she thought could save her. She reached out to the vision of her husband, unaware that she was calling out his name before she was thrust into unconsciousness.

**It's really terrible, but I came back today and sat down at the computer to write these last few paragraphs and for the first half hour they consisted of nothing more than "CARAMEL LATTE! CARAMEL LATTE!" I've been on this high ever since I had a caramel latte during my statistics lecture which is odd because it finished four hours ago and caffeine normally doesn't have that impact on me. Generally speaking, I live on the stuff. If I could breathe it, I would. But there you go. Maybe some of you would have preferred it if the ending had just been "CARAMEL LATTE!" but unfortunately, my sanity temporarily returned. But now it has fled because I am rambling.**

**Sorry about the rambling. Please continue to review! (I don't know if I'll be able to update before finals finish so there MIGHT be no new chapter for a couple of weeks. But maybe some reviews could persuade me otherwise, if you so wish...)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Whoops…I get the feeling that it's been more than a couple of weeks since my last update. Sorry! Maybe it's a good thing that I got this cold I have now, because I watched three episodes of ****The O.C.**** the other day and all of a sudden-voila! New chapter! **

**Thank you all for the reviews and please keep them coming-I need more to my life at the moment than checking my tissue box to make sure there's another tissue left for me to use. **

He couldn't remember getting to the hospital. It was all a bit of a blur after the voice on the other end of the phone spoke those awful words to him: "your wife's been in an accident." He couldn't even remember what he had told Seth and Ryan as an excuse-he didn't want to worry them until he knew how Kirsten was. Maybe it was just a concussion, a broken bone or some stitches. Maybe that was it. Of course that would be the extent of Kirsten's injuries. No point worrying the boys, definitely.

He didn't know exactly how long he had been at the hospital for but he did know that it was taking an extremely long time for a few stitches or putting a cast on a broken bone. He stood up impatiently and paced the floor, unable to sit still any longer. In his head, he made up excuse upon excuse as to why it was taking this long while never allowing himself to think that Kirsten's injuries were anything other than mild. He walked up and the hall until his legs almost gave way to tiredness. Only then did he return to his seat.

He made up some rules for Kirsten, so that she'd never give him a scare like this again. Rule one: no driving in the rain. She might like listening to it but it was clear that Kirsten and rain did not mix. Rule two: always let Kirsten go back to sleep if she wakes up early in the morning. Maybe she was sleep deprived and that had caused the accident. Rule three –

"Mr Cohen?"

Sandy quickly got up as he saw a doctor walking towards him.

"I'm Doctor Parker, I've been working on Kirsten."

"Where is she?" Sandy immediately asked. All he wanted to do was hold her hand and tell her about this crazy night.

"She's in the Intensive Care Unit."

A frown creased Sandy's forehead. Was she visiting someone there? Had they run out of rooms and put her up there?

"Mr Cohen," Doctor Parker repeated, "your wife was in a pretty serious accident. She's broken her right arm and there was some internal bleeding-that's all under control and taken care of. But she also suffered a head injury and we won't know the full extent of the damage that's done until the swelling of her brain has gone down a bit and until she's woken up."

Sandy didn't realise he had been staring at the doctor with his mouth open until a question formed on his lips. "What-what do you mean?"

"At the moment, your wife is in a coma," Dr Parker said gently. "Now, she could come out of it at any time but when she does, there might be some brain damage. Nothing's conclusive-there might be no brain damage. But you have to be prepared for the other possibility."

It was too much for Sandy to take in one go. He reached out for anything to support him, his hand clamping onto the back of the chair next to him. His legs felt shaky, wobbly and his body slumped forwards slightly. Kirsten-_his_ Kirsten-was…was…

"Do you want me to take you to her?" came a soft voice sounding miles away.

Somehow, Sandy managed to nod his head and follow the doctor over to the ICU. But he was off in another world, trying to allow the reality of the words just spoken permeate him while desperately wishing he could rewind the clock to yesterday. Yesterday, when they'd spent the whole day at home, revelling in each other.

More words came from Doctor Parker but they flew past Sandy. He was sure they were meaningless, anyhow.

When they arrived at Kirsten's room, Sandy froze. Tubes and wires erupted from her body-an IV tube, monitors-which was also covered in bruises, cuts-angry looking things that had no right to defile Kirsten's body like that. He didn't notice the doctor leave the room, he was too busy observing the oxygen prongs that were helping Kirsten breathe. He wanted to take them off and tell the staff that she didn't need them to breathe. She didn't need any of the machines in the room, come to think of it. Beneath everything that was masking her body, Sandy could still easily recognise Kirsten's face. The lips he had kissed so many times before, that cute button nose of hers, the eyes-now shut-that had stared at him with anger, amusement, love, sadness-they were all still there. It was still Kirsten. And Kirsten would _never_ need any of these useless machines to help her survive.

He pulled up a chair next to Kirsten's bed and sat on it, gently holding her hand. She didn't tighten her grip nor did she twine her fingers through his and it was then that Sandy realised this had actually happened. Kirsten was injured and might never be the same again. A wave of pain crashed into Sandy, so intense that he wanted nothing more than to cry out but his mouth stayed shut and his eyes remained dry. Instead, reality spurred Sandy into action. He had two sons that needed to be told about this and who would also need someone to be there for them who wasn't a broken heap. She was going to wake up-the doctor had said so-and Sandy wouldn't be any help to her, either, unless he was strong.

Standing up, Sandy promised Kirsten that he'd be back soon and walked out of the ICU into an area where cell phones were permitted. Taking a deep breath, he dialled home and told Seth what had happened, suggesting that he and Ryan take a cab over to the hospital. Turning his cell phone off again, Sandy allowed himself to briefly feel another dagger in his heart at the panic and shock in his son's voice before he turned around and returned to Kirsten.

* * *

He'd shooed the boys home at one that morning, insisting they try to get some sleep but refusing to leave himself. He couldn't leave her like this. Her condition hadn't worsened nor had it improved. People bustled in and out, continuously checking on her and although Sandy got the feeling that he was slightly in their way, he remained put.

When it was just the two of them in the room, he talked to her, hoping and praying that it would bring her back to him quicker. He decided it was best if he stuck to cheery topics, so he told her about surfing, golfing, how he felt the first time he saw her and even sang her a few musical numbers. The songs became more frequent as he ran out of cheerful topics and seemed to help him stay awake more than talking did.

At four twenty-eight, Sandy could swear he felt one of her fingers twitch while he held her hand.

At five nineteen, he was certain that he saw her eyelids flutter.

At five thirty-two, they fluttered again.

Sandy watched anxiously, completely awake now. His songs were forgotten and he begged her to wake up.

At five thirty-four, she granted his wish.

Her blue eyes groggily opened, and for the first few moments she neither moved nor seemed to be aware of her surroundings. But then her whole hand jerked, as if she had only just realised it was encased in Sandy's and her eyes, although still heavy with tiredness, looked over at him.

Sandy released the breath he didn't even know he had been holding and his face broke out into a smile. Kirsten's own face registered fear and confusion through a haze of sleepiness and painkillers.

"It's alright, honey-you're gonna be fine," Sandy assured her.

To his surprise, Kirsten seemed to slightly pull away from him. Her hand tried to release itself of his own with the little strength she had and Sandy's smile was replaced with a frown.

"Baby, what is it?" he asked gently. "Talk to me."

"Wh-who are you?" Kirsten whispered.

"It's me-it's Sandy!" he said, his eyes wide with surprise.

Her hand still twitched, trying to free itself of the hand that wouldn't let it go and Sandy leaned towards her, thinking that maybe her vision had been blurred by…something but Kirsten gasped as he got closer to her.

"Please," Kirsten begged. Her throat was sore and dry, unable to project anything more than a croak. "Help me!"

Sandy reeled back, as if he had been kicked in the guts and let go of her hand. A sickening realisation drew upon him.

"Don't you know…who I am?" he whispered.

"No, I don't!" Kirsten croaked. "Please-please go!"

Sandy slowly got to his feet, as if testing them out to see if they could support him. He walked out of Kirsten's room, turning around to look once more at that familiar face, those half asleep eyes that for some reason, didn't recognise him now. He was closing the door when Dr Parker turned around the corner, heading for the room.

"She's awake," Sandy announced flatly.

He slid down to the floor, resting on the wall behind him, and buried his face in his hands as the tears he'd been waiting all night to cry finally found their way out.

**Do you want me to write more? Then review! (Please!)**

**(Sorry about how long it was between updates-I promise I'll try really hard not to let that happen again!)**


	4. Chapter 4

**First of all; I want to apologise. I know this whole situation is incredibly, incredibly unrealistic but in the words of my favorite English teacher from years ago, we have to suspend our disbelief! I did a little research into amnesia before writing this and I was going to make it so that Kirsten didn't wake up for longer in the hopes that it would maybe slightly increase the reality factor but I suppose I'm a bit of an impatient writer... And I'm not a doctor-I'm not even studying medicine-so I'll probably just gloss over that side of things a little. I mean, if you wanted me to write about what I know I could do a story about Kirsten constructing a balance sheet, being sued/suing someone for negligence or drafting a contract but really, would you want that? Really want it? Thought so. And anyway, I can't think of a possible scenario where you can marry a balance sheet and romance. But maybe that's just because I hate balance sheets so much.**

**So, let's suspend our disbelief and (try to) enjoy!**

Kirsten was more than relieved when she saw a doctor walking into her room. The fright from waking up to that strange man next to her was almost enough to make her forget how groggy she was. It had certainly stopped her from remembering why she was in the hospital for awhile-but not long enough. She knew that abortions were meant to be a straightforward procedure, not a wake up in the Intensive Care Unit with tubes and prongs coming out of you procedure. Something must have gone wrong and Kirsten was too afraid to ask about it; too afraid of finding out that her parents had been told and were now on their way. It was bad enough having an abortion in the first place-she couldn't cope if her parents found out. Her dad…oh God. Kirsten closed her eyes for a moment at the thought of he father's reaction, forgetting momentarily about the doctor.

"Kirsten?" a voice asked, jerking her back to reality.

She opened her eyes and looked up at the doctor who was smiling down at her.

"Welcome back," he declared. "I must say, we thought you probably wouldn't wake up for a bit longer so it was a nice surprise to hear you were awake. I'm Doctor Parker, by the way."

Kirsten forced a polite smile and tried to lift her arm to shake his hand but was startled to discover it was like a dead weight. She looked down in surprise and found her arm encased in a cast that she did not have the strength to lift.

"What…what happened?" Kirsten asked, looking up at Dr Parker in fright.

"You were in an accident, but you're going to be fine," Dr Parker said gently.

"No," Kirsten protested. "I wasn't in an accident. I came in here to have…to have an abortion."

"Kirsten," Dr Parker said carefully, "can you tell me what year it is?"

"1984," Kirsten answered.

Dr Parker slowly nodded his head and shot Kirsten a small smile. "I'll be right back."

If she had the strength to scream, she would. It was all so frustrating, so confusing that it made her head ache and her eyes too heavy to keep open. It must be a dream, Kirsten decided. Maybe she was having a bad reaction to the anaesthetic. Kirsten happily allowed the wave of tiredness to take her under, knowing that when she woke up, she'd feel better and everything would be as it should be.

* * *

Sandy sighed-it seemed that one problem was just giving birth to another at the moment and he was powerless to stop it. Here he was, sitting outside his wife's hospital room while she was in there with Dr Parker, refusing to let him in. He didn't want to think about all the moments they had shared that no longer existed in her memory. Nor did he want to think about how far away it might be before she got her memory back. They were too painful, too raw to be allowed into his thoughts at this stage. So Sandy decided to focus on the boys.

He had to tell them. He knew that but he was trouble bringing himself to act upon his knowledge. How could he tell the boys that Kirsten didn't seem to be able to remember her own family? Seth had always relied on his mother just to be there; to listen to his ramblings, even just to attempt to hug him or run a hand through his hair. Sandy remembered how Kirsten's stint in rehab was harder on Seth than he had let on and shuddered-how would Seth deal with a mother who was there but couldn't remember him? And Ryan-it had taken Ryan years to even begin to believe that he was a vital part of the family; to feel accepted. Was this just going to take him back to the Ryan of the past, who struggled to realise that he was a son to Sandy and Kirsten?

It was going to be hard telling them but the longer he put it off, the harder it would become. Sandy glanced at his watch-8am. He should probably call one of their cells in case they'd already left. He'd have to tell them in person so he'd ask them to come to the hospital-he didn't want to leave on the off chance that Kirsten decided she would see him.

Sandy got up and reached for his cell phone but there was no point-at that moment, he saw the boys walking towards him.

"Dad," Seth said when he reached Sandy. "Any news?"

"I was just about to call you, actually," Sandy said carefully.

Ryan and Seth looked at him for a moment with a combination of fear and hope, before Sandy took a deep breath and continued.

"She woke up two and a half hours ago."

The boys started to make a dash for the door to Kirsten's room and Sandy had to hold out his arm to restrain them.

"Wait. She's talking to the doctor and she'll probably go back to sleep after that. But there is something I have to tell you. She-well, the doctors are pretty certain she has amnesia."

"What, so Mom can't remember the past few days or months or…what?" Seth asked

"It's not quite like that," Sandy said softly. "At this stage, she's…she's not recognizing me."

Seth stared at his father for once speechless as he realised his mom wouldn't remember the artwork he used to make for her as a kid, the bedtime stories she once read him or Chrismukkah.

Sandy saw the reactions of both of his sons and noticed the curtain that seemed to be drawn over Ryan's face, erasing any hints of what he might be feeling.

"What do we do?" Ryan asked flatly, his arms crossed in front of him, not meeting Sandy's gaze.

"Well," Sandy started, knowing this was going to sound harsh no matter how he said it, "I think it's probably best if you go home. Take it easy. Your mom's going to have a lot to deal with and she's probably not ready for visitors quite yet."

Ryan nodded, resigning himself to the situation while Seth took a step towards his dad.

"Are you telling me you don't want us to see Mom?" Seth asked quietly, looking more menacing than Sandy or Ryan had ever seen him before.

Sandy shot Seth a tired look, knowing he didn't have the energy to fight with his son or anyone else but this just seemed to spur Seth on.

"Just because she doesn't remember you, it doesn't mean she won't remember us!" Seth declared, his voice rising with every word.

"Seth," Ryan said firmly, pulling him back.

"Maybe she _chose_ not to remember you, Dad! Did you ever think about that?" Seth yelled.

Ryan pulled Seth back further as he noticed a nurse walking up to them.

"I'm going to have to ask you to keep your voice down or leave the ward," the nurse told Seth in a low, firm voice.

Sandy's heart broke as Seth shot him an anguished look before Ryan escorted him away. He'd frightened Kirsten, upset his sons-he didn't seem to be able to do anything right at the moment. He didn't know if he should have let the boys see Kirsten or if he was right to make them wait. It seemed like there was no right answer in this situation or if there was, no one had bothered to tell him yet.

* * *

After Dr Parker and a psychiatrist had left her room, Kirsten slept through to the afternoon. Sandy stayed put outside her room, leaving only to buy a late lunch he practically force-fed himself after realising he hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday. The doctors gave Sandy updates he paid little attention to, focusing on the one or two catchwords and ignoring the rest. Not that there was much to update him on while she was sleeping.

Shortly after she woke up, Sandy was given an update that he paid total and utter attention to: "Kirsten wants to see you now."

He walked hesitantly into her room. The instant he saw her, he wanted to run over and comfort her in any way he could but he restrained himself, not wanting to have to leave the room-leave _her_. He hung back several feet from her, as she looked him over with an expression Sandy was not used to seeing in Kirsten's viewings of him. She looked at him with uncertainty, unfamiliarity.

"They said you've been outside all this time," Kirsten finally said, her tone polite, maybe even a little reserved.

She met his eyes briefly while waiting for a response and Sandy couldn't help but notice the dark circles under her eyes and how frighteningly pale she was. He wanted to sit down on her bed, cup her face in his hand and make her laugh until she forgot that she was in hospital. But instead, he just nodded.

"Could you do me a favor, please?" she asked him. "Could you call my parents and let them know what's happened?"

Sandy knew his jaw dropped slightly and his eyes filled with surprise at that request but he couldn't correct his expression. Kirsten's parents hadn't even crossed his mind all day. It hadn't occurred to him that she could have forgotten their deaths.

"I-I can't," Sandy stammered. "I can't get in contact with them."

"Well…well, what about Jimmy?" Kirsten asked. "Jimmy Cooper?"

"He's moved," Sandy said softly, giving a silent sigh of relief that she hadn't pressed more about her parents.

"My sister?" Kirsten asked hopefully, her face growing more and more forlorn.

"Hailey's working overseas," Sandy told her. "I'll give her a call and let her know what happened."

Kirsten regarded him suspiciously for a moment.

"And you're sure you can't get onto my parents?" she persisted.

"I really can't," Sandy said, praying that Kirsten would let the subject be just for another day or two. "I'm sorry."

"Why not?" Kirsten asked firmly as a look of determination settled in her eyes, making her look more like the Kirsten he knew.

"I think we should talk about this more another day," Sandy said. "Now, why don't I call Hail-"

"No!" Kirsten interrupted. "Tell me what's going on."

"They're…not here," Sandy said lamely.

"Would you stop being so ambiguous and just _tell_ me?" Kirsten snapped.

He didn't know what to do. He could see Kirsten getting worked up, her face paling even more, her breathing becoming shorter and shallower. If he didn't tell her, she'd work herself up into more of a state. And if he _did_ tell her? He didn't think a bigger catch-22 existed.

Sandy looked at her with such sympathy and pity that everything about Kirsten just seemed to stop for a moment as she caught on. Not a part of her moved and she seemed to be holding her breath, whether consciously or unconsciously.

"What happened?" she managed to whisper.

"Cancer and a heart attack," Sandy finally admitted.

Kirsten had been raised with a good awareness of stranger danger. One of the most important aspects of that was never to trust the unknown. And she was pretty certain that included a man with wild eyebrows telling you your parents were dead. She wanted not to trust what he had told her more than anything in the world but there was something in his eyes that intrinsically made her believe what he was saying.

For a moment, Kirsten felt quite detached from the whole situation. She was used to being alone-her whole life, she'd hidden whatever pains she could from her family while learning at an early age that many of her classmates had been instructed by their parents to befriend Caleb Nichol's daughter. She was accustomed to not having anyone to confide in.

But then the reality of the situation hit her. She may not have been able to cry on her mother's shoulder or complain about a fight with a friend to her father, but they had always been there and loved her. She'd always had the familiarity of her family, the comfort of her friends or the distraction of Newport's social scene. And now, all her security had been whisked away from her and she was far more alone than she'd ever been before. A deep ache rose in Kirsten, so deep she forgot about the man in the room as tears she couldn't fight cascaded down her cheeks.

It took Sandy a second to realise she needed help. Kirsten's body was shaking uncontrollably and she sobbed in a way he'd never heard from her before. He rushed to tell the closest nurse he could find before returning to Kirsten, forgetting all cautions he'd had before and taking her in his arms. She thrashed against him as she continued screaming and after her hand collided with his nose, he released her, drawing back in pain.

He didn't pay attention to who gave her the sedative, he just waited anxiously to see her released from the suffering he had caused. As Kirsten drifted away, Sandy watched her with an overwhelming sense of guilt, wondering if he'd ever be able to stop inadvertently pushing her away from him.

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and please don't stop them coming in! I also realised last chapter I'd disabled anonymous reviews so they've been enabled now.**

**Anyhow, I'm off to the beach with friends for the rest of the week so let's hope I have a nice surprise of an inbox fat with reviews when I return!**


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